Health insurance rates are skyrocketing in various parts of our nation, and some places won’t even be able to find coverage due to the lack of insurers in the ACA exchange. Health care has become a trending and controversial topic, and consumers are starting to worry about being able to obtain coverage for the next year. It also doesn’t help that the ACA is pressuring everyone to acquire health insurance due to its monetary penalties.

Well, due to increased health care expenses, business owners are starting to reduce their benefits plan or even get rid of it altogether just to save money. Then, it creates a conflict of interest between the employee and employer because employee benefits is a major component in acquiring and retaining top talent.

But what if I told you there was a way for the employer to save money and support employee wellness?

When I was 5 years old, I remember believing that one day I would be running my own business. I had it all planned out. It was going to be a candy store with all types of chocolates, lollipops, cookies, brownies, s’mores, basically you name it, and I’ll have it. If you couldn’t tell, I probably had the largest sweet tooth in the world.

Besides the fact that I was merely a child when I thought of this idea, I had no clue how to run a business or what I would need to start one. 20 years later, and my vision of one day creating my own candy store is nothing but rubble.

Believe it or not, hiring is similar to dating. At first, you ask general questions to see if he/she has any traits that you’re looking for. Then, after a long period of time (usually), you decide to take the relationship to the next level.

Now, think of the “next level” as the job offer that a business owner makes during the hiring process. Like a relationship, the process of hiring a new employee takes time, energy, and money.

That being said, a lot of employers don’t take recruitment as serious as they should. I’ve heard way too many stories of small business owners who hired a new employee, only to have him/her leave after a couple of months. This is the last thing that any employer would want.

That’s why I’m here to share the 3 biggest hiring blunders you can make for your small business, so you can improve your hiring procedure:

A couple of years ago, I once worked for a prestigious company with a well-established reputation for its services. I was given a full-time job with a health salary, full benefits, a 401(k), and 2 weeks of vacation time. It was a job that every fresh-out-of-college student would want to receive right after graduating. Six months later, I left the company.

There were several reasons why I chose to leave, but the biggest reason for my departure was due to its workplace culture. I was constantly surrounded by snobby, negative employees who always seemed to belittle their co-workers. Most employees were constantly criticizing one another for the smallest things, some of which had nothing to do with work. Tensions were so high that at one point, an employee stormed out of his manager’s office yelling, “F**k this place, I don’t deserve to be treated like this!”.

Even though I was admired by friends and family for working at this well-known firm, I knew I couldn’t stay for long. Next thing you know, I gave in my two weeks notice and never turned back.

Imagine two different workers in two different industries: Worker A and Worker B.

Worker A is an engineer for a tech company, who works 6 days a week and 10 hours per day. He receives a solid salary with a comprehensive benefits plan from his company, but he only has a week’s worth of paid-time-off, including sick days.

Worker B is a marketing manager for a digital agency, who only works on the weekdays and usually works from 9am-5pm. He also receives a health salary, but not as much as Worker A, and just a 401k plan and health insurance from his agency. However, he does receive two weeks of paid vacation days and 5 paid sick days.